It has been recognized for some time that the medical issue involving the development of decubitus ulcers in bed-ridden patients, often those who are still in the environment of a hospital recovering from some medical event or condition, is a serious problem. Although there have been many approaches to solving this problem, many have shortcomings because they fail to grasp a full understanding of the key body-support and contact conditions that should exist if decubitus ulcer onset is to be reduced. In other words, prior art solutions are largely ineffective because they do not properly recognize, and address, the conditions under which decubitus ulcers develop.
Example embodiments of an effective anti-decubitus ulcer mattress overlay configured to function principally on the surface of a yieldable, underlying support structure, such as that furnished by a conventional hospital bed mattress, are provided in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/960,493, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. The example mattress overlays disclosed therein possess various characteristics effective in reducing the possibility of decubitus ulcer onset (these characteristics are also referred to herein as “anti-decubitus ulcer characteristics”), such as (1) avoiding high, applied anatomical pressure and/or pressure-evenizing contact-loading characteristics defining how the anatomy of a bed-ridden patient is supported, (2) reducing friction and shear engagement between the overlay structure and a supported patient, (3) providing effective, ventilating, heat-removing, perspiration-managing, cooling airflow in the volumetric region disposed beneath the supported anatomy, such as to avoid overheating, and so forth.
There are circumstances, for example with regard to a bed-ridden, or otherwise long-term supported, patient, where it is important that some form of additional, anatomical underlying, full- or partial-width lateral support depth be provided, such as in order to elevate one or more portions of a patient's anatomy, for example to reduce swelling of an extremity and so forth.
While there are many approaches to accomplishing such an elevating function, such as, for example, employing a traction mechanism or the like to raise and suspendingly support a portion of a patient's body, employing one or more pillows or similar pads underneath a portion of a patient's anatomy, these measures may not be suitable for the handling of a patient where, as is now usually always the case, there is a concern that overpressure on the resting anatomy, even for relatively short periods of time, if sustained, may cause the onset of a decubitus ulcer.